water prices will “go the way of power bills”

MATTHEW KILLORAN

HOUSEHOLD water prices will “go the way of power bills” , rising by more than $50 a year for decades and double that by 2040 unless drastic action is taken, including privatising
the utilities, says a government report to be released today.

Infrastructure Australia predicts average water bills will rise from $1200 to $2500 over the next 23 years and even hit $6000 a year by 2067.

The organisation blames population
growth, ageing infrastructure , climate change and poor regulation for the projected skyrocketing costs – and warns Queensland’s high number of natural disasters could see it affected most.

IA executive director Adrian Dwyer said long-term
planning needed to start now to stop water bills crippling family budgets.

“There’s a danger water bills could go the same way as power bills if we don’t reform,” he said. “A $2500 water bill will be a big impost on
most family budgets.”

According to the report, a national body should be established , it should draw up a reform plan next year, then make changes to water price regulation over five years.

But long-term , it said a national
regulator for water pricing , and selling off the assets, was needed to avoid bill shock.

This would save families $4135 over 23 years if the full plan was implemented. He said governments needed to act now to ensure reliable and affordable water
into the future.

Bulk water charges on your bill could rise by up to $80 for some

By Felicity Caldwell

The bulk water charge for
the average household would be $488.80 or $489.44 by 2020-21, under the two options proposed by the Queensland Competition Authority.

In 2008, the state government took over responsibility for bulk water supply from south-east Queensland councils.

The 11 councils will be required to have a common bulk water price by no later than 2020-21.

One of the charges on south-east Queensland water bills would be up to $80
more expensive in three years under draft recommendations handed to the state government.

The Queensland Competition Authority is reviewing bulk water prices for customers in 11 council areas, in an attempt
to reach a common price across south-east Queensland.

The Queensland Competition Authority has recommended new bulk water charges for south-east Queensland until 2020-21.

Photo: Kirk Gilmour

Out of the 11 council areas, Sunshine Coast, Noosa
and Redland City were yet to reach the common price, but all would be standardised by 2019-20 or 2020-21.

Under option one, the bulk water charge for an average south-east Queensland household would cost $488.80
per year by 2020-21, while option two would cost $489.44.

That was based on the indicative bulk water bill for an average household using 160 kilolitres per year.

For people living in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Scenic Rim and Somerset
councils, it meant an additional $39 per year in 2020-21 compared with 2017-18.

For those in Sunshine Coast and Noosa councils, it would be an increase
of about $71.

In Redland City Council, it would be an increase of about $80.

Under option one, the common price would reset in 2018-19 and then increase by
inflation, and all council areas would pay the common price in 2019-20.

Under option two, increases for all council areas would be smoothed over the three-year priod and all council areas would pay the common
price in 2020-21.

In south-east Queensland, water bills generally include
three parts: the bulk water price, retailers' charges for water distribution and retail services to the premises and retailers' charges for providing sewerage services to the premises.

Quensland Competition
Authority chairman Roy Green said the draft report recommending bulk water prices for south-east Queensland for 2018-21 had been presented to the state government.

"Under the first option, the current bulk
water price for the eight councils paying the common price - Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Scenic Rim and Somerset - of $2.82 per kilolitre - would rise by 3.2 per cent in 2018-19 and 2.5 per cent in 2019-20," Professor
Green said.

"Under the second option, the common price applying to the group of eight councils would rise by 2.8 per cent in each of the three years.

"A common
price of $3.06 per kilolitre would apply to all 11 councils by 2020-21."

The second option would result in more gradual increases for Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Redland City councils over three years rather
than two.

The Queensland government took over control of the bulk water supply from the region's councils in 2008.

To reduce the price impact of significant
investments made in water infrastructure in response to low water availability, the government decided that bulk water price increases should be phased in over time.

To avoid an initial sharp price rise, prices
were set to initially recover less than the cost of supplying bulk water, and gradually repay the deficit until 2028.

The QCA estimated Seqwater should be allowed to recover $8.1 billion in costs between 2018
and 2028.

The QCA completed its first full review of Seqwater's bulk water prices in 2015 and recommended prices until June 2018, with the Queensland government setting prices that were consistent with the
recommendations.

People can comment on the draft report until January 31 at www.qca.org.au.

Afternoon All,

It
sometimes surprises me that the finish of the day never ends like you may have expected it to . One of “Unites “ members had a meeting today with Jim Soorley . She invited me along , to take notes , as she can not read or write english . She has
appeared on T V a couple of times and invited Jim to meet with her . He took her up on the condition that there was no media there . She invited me instead .

When Jim showed up to her house and came in and saw me there he cracked the shits and said if I was going to be there then he would leave . I tried to explain
that I was only there to take notes for one of our members , and to give him some paper work-nothing else . He said I was a “ Political Activist “ and could not be trusted . I took exception with that and said if standing up for your
community is labelled as that , then yes I am , But I do not believe in that label . He said that either I go , or he does , so I asked my host if they thought I should leave . We agreed that I should .

Before leaving I asked Jim if I could have a minute of his time to give him some paperwork . He agreed
I gave him a lot of water bills that I had collected from some res. villages that are on shared usage , and a few private dwellings , and also our wish list and mission statement . I explained what they were and that people were being charged for water not
being used . He disagreed and said as from the first of January all would get an indiv. bill. I asked him to please read my paper work, thinking it would go in the bin .

I left Jim , after him saying that “ Nothing will change “.

I went and had a coffee for an hour then went back after he had gone , and you guessed it , she was very
disappointed with the result . “ Nothing Will Change “ he said .

I stayed for about an hour and came home , and was actually up the back yard picking up pine cones , when my lovely wife yelled out that Jim Soorley is on the phone . I SAID WHO .

She said Jim Soorley . It seems that Jim did read the paperwork I gave him , and Yes – I was right.
HE IS GOING TO LOOK INTO THIS , and wants to know of the other villages that are having similar issues .

So the “Political Activist “ was right .

Very small win , I know , but it gives you some heart when you are acknowledged as ‘RIGHT “.

And yes Jim did say once again in the conversation, Rodney “Nothing Will Change “

facts & figures

Unitywater PricingIt is assumed that 90% of water used will also need to be treated as sewerage. This means that water used in the garden
is charged a price to be delivered to the house (.644 cents per 1000 litres) and again when 90% of it is "treated" as sewerage, at the same price.

The bureaucracy behind Queensland’s tariff risesBureaucratic cost pressures have contributed significantly to recent steep water tariff rises in South East Queensland, according to a report commissioned by the Local Government
Association of Queensland.